The Nook finally bests the Kindle

For the first time since the Kindle's release, Consumer Reports reviews favor another e-reader.

By
Megan Wasson, Monitor contributor /
July 25, 2011

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The new Nook Simple Touch is competitively priced to match the Kindle, features an easy to read E-Ink screen, turns pages faster, weighs less than the Kindle, and has up to two months of battery life.

Ever since e-readers hit the mainstream, the Amazon Kindle has been the market leader, both in terms of functionality and popularity. However, according to a recent Consumer Report, the new Nook Simple Touch from Barnes & Noble is now getting more love from users.

The Simple Touch seems to have the best of all worlds: Unlike the Kindle, it has a touch screen, which makes for easier navigation and eliminates the need for a bulky physical keyboard. This new Nook is competitively priced to match the Kindle, features an easy to read E-Ink screen, turns pages faster, weighs less than the Kindle, and has up to two months of battery life.

Given Consumer Reports' reputation for honest technology reviews, their vote of confidence for the new Nook could take a bite out of Kindle sales.

The one downside to the new Simple Touch Nook is – of course – that it doesn't have the Amazon bookstore behind it. E-books bought for the Kindle cannot be transferred to a Nook. [This article originally misstated that the Amazon e-book store was larger than that of Barnes & Noble.]

What does this mean for you? Well, if you're in the market for a fast, lightweight, and easy-to-use e-reader, then the Nook Simple Touch may be your best bet. If you want the ability to listen to MP3s and browse the Web between e-books, and prefer Amazon's expansive e-books selection, then stick with the Kindle, which Monitor contributor Colby Bermelwholeheartedly recommends.